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Parable And Paradox: Sonnets On The Sayings Of Jesus And Other Poems

Since the publication of the bestselling Sounding the Seasons, Malcolm Guite has repeatedly been asked for more sonnets. This new collection offers a sequence of 50 sonnets that focus on many passages in the Gospels: the Beatitudes, parables and miracles, teachings on the Kingdom, and the hard sayings - Jesus challenging demands with which we wrestle. In addition this collection includes: A sequence of five sonnets on 'The Wilderness', exploring mysterious stories of divine encounter such as Jacob s wrestling with the angel. Poetic reflections on music, hospitality and ecology. Seven short poems celebrating the days of creation. A biblical index pairing the poems with scripture readings for use in worship."

Paperback: 96 pages

Publisher: Canterbury Press Norwich (May 27, 2016)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1848258593

ISBN-13: 978-1848258594

Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.2 x 8.5 inches

Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #86,871 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #18 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Literature & Fiction > Poetry #87 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Themes & Styles > Inspirational & Religious #87 in Books > Literature & Fiction > British & Irish > Poetry

I find it extremely comforting – a blessed relief – to turn from the viciousness of the commentary about Brexit, the vote by the people of Britain to leave the EU, to poetry based on the sayings of Jesus and related themes. That’s what “Parable and Paradox”by poet, priest, and musician Malcom Guite is – a blessed relief.Perhaps it’s the sonnet form Guite uses, a form that’s been around since at least the 1200s if not earlier. The sonnet is a 14-line poem that follows a specific rhyming pattern and structure. William Shakespeare used the form to write some of the most beautiful poems in the English language. So did Elizabeth Barrett Browning.The sonnet is a favored form by Guite, and he uses it to reflect upon, ponder, question, celebrate, and commemorate. In this poem, he does all five of these:PilgrimageCome dip a scallop shell into the fontFor birth and blessings as child of God.The living water rises from that fountWhence all things come, that you may bathe and wadeAnd find the flow, and learn at last to followThe course of Love upstream toward your home.The day is done and all the fields lie fallow,One thing is needful, one voice calls your name.Take the true compass now, be compassed roundBy clouds of witness, chords of love unbound.Turn to the Son, begin your pilgrimage,Take time with him to find your true direction.He travels with you through this darkened ageAnd wake you every day to resurrection.Read it aloud. The act of reading such a poem is itself calming and soothing.“Parables and Parado”x includes 27 new poems on subjects ranging from Bible study to hospitality; 50 sonnets on the sayings of Jesus; and a concluding series of poems entitled “Seven Whole Days.” Two of the new poems are named for two American poets – Scott Cairns and Luci Shaw.Guite is a poet, an Anglican priest, chaplain of Girton College at the University of Cambridge, a lecturer and speaker, and a rock band musician part of the Cambridge-based group Mystery Train. He’s published several books, including several poetry collections, such as “Sounding the Seasons,” “The Singing Bowl,” and “Word in the Wilderness.” He’s a lecturer and speaker. And he’s a rock band musician part of the Cambridge-based group Mystery Train. He received his undergraduate and masters degrees from Cambridge, and a Ph.D from Durham University, where his dissertation focused on the poets Lancelot Andrewes and John Donne and their influence on T.S. Eliot.Read these poems called “Parables and Paradox.” Find a quiet place to read them aloud. Read them, and calm your spirit.

Malcolm Guite's poetry always illumines, inspires, and probes. Through his masterfully created poems, he leads us into deeper understanding of the person and sovereignty of Jesus. Guite also skewers our complacency through his own experience and through revealing God's word. His poetry offers truth, often difficult truth through the magic of carefully chosen words and the discipline of the sonnet form.

beautifully composed poetry offering an excellent place for meditation as well as highly illustrative worship resource.

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